Program Information

Program Mission

The Faculty of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program is committed to service to the community and to providing high quality education to prepare students with a solid educational background and a set of skills translatable to a variety of laboratory settings including hospital laboratories, industry, research laboratories, and many more. The Faculty, in its concern for the health and safety of the general public, is committed to ensuring that each student develops knowledge, skills and values essential to the appropriate role providing the basis for continuing intellectual and professional growth.

M.S. Admission Requirements

In addition to the general Graduate School admission requirements, applicants to the M.S. program must:

Have a biology, chemistry, or a related major from an accredited college or university,

Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (A = 4.0), computed from all undergraduate credits or from the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course credit,

Have taken the GRE General Test,

Provide a written statement of career goals,

If foreign-educated, have a score of at least 550 for paper version (or 80 for Internet version; or 213 for computer version) on the TOEFL, submit a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (WES) at www.wes.org

If accepted, students must complete the UAB medical history questionnaire and physical, provide proof of required immunizations, and receive satisfactory screening by the UAB Medical Center Student Health Service before enrollment. A background check and drug screen will be required at program admission and prior to clinical placement.
Persons with a Bachelor of Science degree may be eligible to register for courses as non-degree seeking graduate students before acceptance into the M.S. program. If a non-degree seeking graduate student meets the M.S. program admission requirements, up to 12 semester hours of approved non-degree graduate coursework may be accepted for the M.S. degree. Admission of a student to any course as a non-degree student does not constitute admission to the M.S. degree program.

Essential Functions

Essential functions are fundamental tasks, behaviors, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the requirements of the Program. A full list of the essential functions of the program are available from the CLS website under the link Admission (http://www.uab.edu/shp/cds/clinical-laboratory-sciences). Essential functions are physical abilities, mental abilities, skills, attitudes, and behaviors the students must evidence or perform at each stage of their education. The absence of an essential function would fundamentally alter a student's ability to meet the program goals. The essential requirements include categories of observation, movement, communication, intellect, and behavior.

Accreditation and Certification

The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Program graduates are eligible to apply for the certification examination offered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC).

Courses

Review of infection control principles focused on bloodborne, airborne, drug-resistant and opportunistic pathogens, and general health and safety guidelines and standards.

CLS 503. Body Fluids. 1 Hour.

Diagnosis and monitoring of renal and systemic disease through the physical, biochemical, and microscopic analysis of urine and feces. Diagnosis of central nervous system and systemic disease through cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Diagnosis of metabolic and infectious disease through analysis of peritoneal fluid, synovial fluid, transudates, and exudates. Fertility testing using semen analysis.

CLS 504. Lab Analysis of Body Fluids. 1 Hour.

Application of diagnosis and monitoring of renal and systemic disease through the physical, biochemical, and microscopic analysis of urine and feces. Diagnosis of central nervous system and systemic disease through cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Diagnosis of metabolic and infectious disease through analysis of peritoneal fluid, synovial fluid, transudates, and exudates. Fertility testing using semen analysis.

Reservoirs, modes of transmission, disease associations, and morphological and biochemical characteristics of microorganisms commonly isolated in the clinical laboratory; methods used to isolate and identify bacteria, parasites, and fungi.

CLS 524. Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. 1 Hour.

Performance of techniques and tests used in the isolation and identification of bacteria, fungi, and parasites commonly seen in a clinical microbiology laboratory.

CLS 526. Instrumentation & Automation. 2 Hours.

Study of the theory and principles of automation and instrumentation used in laboratories emphasis will be placed on quality control, quality assurance, instrumentation principles, basic statistics, and the regulatory, and economic issues encountered in laboratories including, clinical labs, health labs, government labs, private labs and other laboratories.

CLS 527. Instrumentation and Automation Laboratory. 1 Hour.

Practical application of automation and instrumentation used in laboratories. Emphasis will be placed on quality control, quality assurance, instrumentation principles, basic statistics, and the regulatory, and economic issues encountered in laboratories including, clinical labs, health labs, government labs, private labs and other laboratories.

Review of medical technology/ clinical laboratory science body of knowledge with required comprehensive trial certification final examination using self-directed online materials. Experience with the development of a personal certification maintenance plan to meet requirements defined by national certification agencies in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Study of the basic science of DNA and RNA, including their chemistries, structures and syntheses; repair; genes, operons, genomes and gene expression; RNA processing and modification; DNA methods and applications; and RNA methods and applications.

CLS 686. Special Topics in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. 1-4 Hour.

Selected advanced topics of current scientific, clinical, and professional importance; specific topics designed to meet student need and interest.

CLS 698. Master's Level Non-Thesis Research. 1-6 Hour.

CLS 699. Thesis Research. 1-6 Hour.

Implementation of research. Must be admitted to master level candidacy. Must have approval IRB. Must have a 3 member committee approved by the graduate dean.Prerequisites: GAC M